PBR Canada to open 2017 Monster Energy Tour with major event in Quebec City

By: Andrew Giangola
Monday, March 20, 2017 @ 9:45 AM

Canadian Tour, Beginning in Québec City, Culminates in National Championship in Saskatoon, SK

QUÉBEC CITY, Quebec (March 20) — PBR (Professional Bull Riders) has announced the PBR Monster Energy Tour – a new, national bull riding series visiting six Canadian provinces, will open the 2017 season in Québec City at the Vidéotron Center on June 2 and 3, 2017. Following these two hours of confrontation between the cowboys and the bulls, a country rock show will be presented for fans who want to continue their evening. More details to come about this festive event.

While PBR has hosted events in Canada since 1996, the new tour hits the road for its second season as a unified competitive series traveling across the country. After beginning in Québec City, the national series moves on to visit Ottawa on June 9; Toronto, June 24; Calgary, September 23; Winnipeg, October 6; Abbotsford, October 14; and Saskatoon, October 20 and 21, where a PBR Canadian champion will be crowned.

The PBR Monster Energy Tour will award a total purse of $100,000 in prize money for the Québec City Event, a PBR Major which will feature top Canadian riders and 10 international invites from the elite Built Ford Tough Series. PBR Majors award riders with additional prize money and championship points. Points earned at all PBR Monster Energy Tour events count toward qualifying for the prestigious PBR Built Ford Tough Series and PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.

The PBR Monster Energy Tour will be showcased on TSN/RDS, including a post-season highlights show. Fans should check local listings for broadcast event dates and times.

“Québec is a top destination for international sports and a hotbed for action sports,” said Sean Gleason, CEO, PBR. “As PBR continues to grow on a global scale, we will continue to invest in expanding the PBR Monster Energy Tour in Canada. We’re thrilled to start the season in Québec in a beautiful venue hosting a two-day event that will include the top bull riders in the world.”

"We are proud to be partner with the best and have the opportunity to add the Gestev touch," said Patrice Drouin, president of Gestev. Our long-term wish is to create a new atmosphere in Québec City that will bring out the culture that surrounds this lifestyle that is a real extreme sport! "

“As PBR commits to bringing world-class events to Canadian fans, we are grateful for the support of Monster Energy, Gestev and Vidéotron Centre in launching this Event Major to open our 2017 national tour,” said Chris Bell, General Manager, PBR Canada. “The leading-edge marketing and promotion of our valued partners will generate strong awareness for the tour’s season and provide fans with a great experience.”

About Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Canada:

Professional Bull Riders (PBR), which has events in five countries and is available in more than 400 million homes globally, has competed in Canada since 1996. The Monster Energy Canadian Tour debuted in 2016 as the country’s first national series. Points earned at Canadian events count towards qualification to the elite PBR Canadian Championship. Upon the conclusion of the Championship, the bull rider with the most regular season and Championship points is crowned the PBR Canada Champion. Points won at all Canadian events count toward qualifying on the prestigious PBR Built Ford Tough Series and PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB will be the first-ever Canadian host of the PBR Global Cup on November 9-11, 2017. The three-day event will feature the world’s best bull riders from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Australia, all competing for their country and a Canadian-record purse of $1,000,000, the second-largest payout in North America next to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. For more information on PBR Canada, go to www.pbrcanada.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pbrcanada and Twitter at http://twitter.com/PBRCanada.